Bakuman 8

Well, on to volume 2.

[Bakuman 8 Translation by Kewl0210]
Cover:
Title: Bakuman。
Chocolate and Akamaru
Original Story Ooba Tsugumi [Titles are small, names are big]
Obata Takeshi

Back Cover:
Description: Having competed their first joint work manga, Saikou and Shuujin bring it into the Jump editorial department. In spite of their nerves, the editor that appears, Hattori, quickly reads through it. In the end, what assessment will be given!?

Obata Flap:
Above Picture: Obata Takeshi
Bubble: This manga's title, "Bakuman。" comes from explosion (bakuhatsu), gambling (bakuchi), and the dreame-eating mythical animal the "baku"... I think it's an interesting title with various meanings.

Ooba Flap:
Above Picture: Tsugumi Ooba
This doesn't mean much, really, but our editor is a Miyoshi fan and the editor Kim-san is an Azuki fan, and I'm an Iwase fan.

Page 1:
[Blank]

Page 2:
★This is a work of fiction. There are no connections to actual people, groups or events.

Page 3:
Title: Bakuman。
Chocolate and Akamaru
Original Story Ooba Tsugumi [Titles are small, names are big]
Obata Takeshi
Stamp: Shonen Jump [Top big letters]
Manuscript [Bottom big letters.]
[The small ones are like "date" and they're blank.]

Page 4-5:
Story: In order to achieve a glory only a handful of people can attain, two boys walk the perilous "path of manga", determined to become pro mangaka. The skilled artist Mashiro Moritaka and and the literarily talented Takagi Akito form a team and embark on a success story of a new manga legend!!
Bottom right: *These ages are in regard to August of 2008.
Characters:
Mashiro Moritaka [Each one lists their name in kanji, then katakana in the smaller box. Then a description and their age in the bottom right.]
In charge of drawing the manga's art. He is a super-romantic who pledged to Azuki "When our dreams come true, we'll get married."
Age 14

Azuki Miho
Having the dream of becoming a seiyuu, with the condition of "we can't meet until our dreams come true", she promised to marry Saikou.
Age 14

Takagi Akito
In charge of drawing the manga's story. A prodigy boasting the highest grades in his class year. Calm and cool, but super-passionate when it comes to manga.
Age 14
Miyoshi Kaya
A friend of Miho, and thinks Shuujin confessed his love to her.

Niizuma Eiji
A genius mangaka whom at the young age of 15, he placed in the semi-finals for the Tezuka Award. He is in the same generation as Saikou's group.

Mashiro Nobuhiro
The now deceased uncle of Saikou, and the mangaka whom wrote under the penname Kawaguchi Tarou.
Age at Death 39

Azuki Miyuki
Miho's mother. A long time ago she corresponded with Nobuhiro and encouraged him.

Hattori Akira
A Jump editor.
Age 28

Hattori Yuujirou
A Jump editor.
Age 26

Editor-in-Chief Sasaki
Jump's editor-in-chief.
Age 46

Left Side Text: The characters marked with this symbol are introduced in this, volume 2.

Page 6:
Side: Bakuman。
Table of Contents
【Chocolate and Akamaru】
Contents:
Page 8 Carrot and Stick
Page 9 Condition and Moving to Tokyo
Page 10 Anxiety and Anticipation
Page 11 Regret and Acceptance
Page 12 10 and 2
Page 13 Chocolate and Akamaru
Page 14 Dinner and Graduation
Page 15 Send and Reply
Page 16 Early Report and Real Deal

Page 7:
Title: Page 8 Carrot and Stick
Sign on Building: Shuueisha
Saikou: 20 minutes from now, huh? I think the best time to go in would be 5 minutes before.
Shuujin: Let's take a walk around here until then.
Saikou: I sure am nervous. I don't know what we should talk about.
But I guess just answering what we're asked is fine.
Shuujin: Oh yeah, my older brother asked me get the Jump that comes out on September 1st for him.
Saikou: ......Geez, they probably have it but how could we ask for something like that?
Your brother goes to a good college, doesn't he?
After he failed to get into the national university, he basically stopped trying.
Now he spends all his time with club activities and going on group dates every day.
Enjoying his youth, that sort of thing.
SFX: PAA BUOOO BABABA

Page 8:
Saikou: So that's why you're think about your future and thought of becoming a mangaka?
Shuujin: No, the reason I decided I didn't want to become a salaryman was because of my parents.
My dad used to work at Oote Bank, but there were layoffs when I was in second or third year of elementary school.
SFX: Paa... Oooo
Shuujin: I accidentally saw my parents fighting.
Mom: So covering for your boss's responsibility is equivalent to getting fired, isn't it?
Dad: There's nothing I can do, it's my boss...
Shuujin: My mom's a high school teacher, so she made me study even before I started elementary school, but
Mom: You're amazing, Acchan!
TL Note: Probably short for Akito-chan.
Shuujin: And ever since my dad got laid off, she would always cry when she was teaching me.

Page 9:
Mom: Acchan, you've got to avenge your dad, okay?
Shuujin: She used to mutter things like that. Is that something you say to a grade-schooler?
Avenge? Does that mean work at the bank and become a manager? Was that why she was making me study? When I thought that I started to hate it. [This is in the lower right.]
When I was in 5th year of elementary, I sort of snapped. Or rather, I just couldn't take it anymore and I spoke out. [This is in the upper left. It's weird ordering.]
Shuujin (Kid): I'm not your tool, Mom!
I'll decide my own future!
Shuujin: After that, without without doing anything else, she stopped talking about it. She's a good parent, though.
Ah, sorry. I got a little serious, there.
I think it's about okay for us to go in now, right........?
Saikou: ........
Shuujin: Huh? Which way was it again?

Page 10:
Receptionist: Do you have an appointment?
Shuujin: Yes. a 3PM with Weekly Shounen Jump's Hattori-san.
Receptionist: Please fill this out.
[The card already has English on it.]
Shuujin: I-I'm done.
Receptionist: Then please wait just a moment.
Takagi-sama and Mashiro-sama are---------
Please wait at seat number 3. Hattori will be coming to see you, soon.

Page 11:
Saikou: Even though we were bringing something into "Jump", I knew we wouldn't be going through the editorial department itself.
There were clearly plenty of other people bringing work into Jump besides us, but I could only hear their voices.
People: So......
....................
SFX: BOH BOH
People: I'm just going to pretend I never saw this.
Saikou/Shuujin: ..........
SFX: TON TON

Page 12:
Shuujin: Hey...
I was pretty confident on the way here, but
I'm worried we're gonna be told that what we have is shit.
Saikou: It'd be scarier to be heavily praised the very first time brought something in. According to my uncle, you're in if they offer tea.
Shuujin: He~~~~~h...
Hattori: Takagi-kun and Mashiro-kun?
Both: Y-Yes!
SFX: Nyuh
Hattori: I'm Hattori from "Weekly Shounen Jump", nice to meet you.
Both: It's very nice to meet you.
SFX: GATAH
Hattori: Well, let's not waste time, could I see what you've brought?
Shuujin: Ah, okay.
Please, go ahead.

Page 13:
Both: F... Finally...
SFX: SAH SAH
Shuujin: Uh.
Saikou: He reads so faaaaast!
Both: Terrible... He's gonna say it's shit...
This feels like being a defendant waiting for a verdict in a trial...
Ah... I, Shuujin......
If we're offered tea, we're in.
Tea.
Tea...
SFX: DOKI DOKIH DOKIH (Heartbeat)

Page 14:
SFX: TAN
SFX: GOKU... (gulp)
Hattori: Let me read it one more time.
Both: Oh.
Reading it a second time, is that good...? ......?
Both: ......
SFX: TON TON
Hattori: You guys did well.
Both: !

Page 15:
Hattori: I'm getting some coffee, do you want anything?
Both: Are we in!?
Shuujin: We... We'll both have coffee, too, please, right?
Saikou: Yes.
Hattori: It's no good but----- These are middle schoolers, middle schoolers... So that means it's possible they could get better in the future, right? No, maybe it's already pretty interesting, I'm not sure. [Italics on "middle schoolers".]
In times like this I should hold onto it for now!
First I should praise then and then point out what's wrong.
Hattori: Um, did you think up the story together?
Shuujin: No, I did the story and Mashiro did the drawings, it's totally split.
Hattori: I see.
Are you trying to become pros?
Shuujin: Yes. As soon as we can!
Saikou: "Yes" would've been enough...

Page 16:
Hattori: I don't think I should tell these kids about tough things like they may not always stay friends and how hard it would be for them both to make a living.......
Well, I'll give you my opinions on the story first, then, okay?
Shuujin: All right.
Hattori: As a whole, it's a well put together sci-fi story. And people who like that would be drawn into it.
Shuujin: Okay.
Hattori: But this is more of a novel than it is manga.
There's too much narration and the lines are very expositional, too.
Unless the story progresses through the drawings and characters, there's no point in it being a manga.
Saikou: We decided I wouldn't butt in about the story, so I didn't say anything about it, but I thought that, too, a little...
There are hit and miss editors... If it's something I could see, it's obvious. So this person a hit or a miss......?

Page 17:
Hattori: But it's really well made as a story, so maybe you'd be suited to doing a light novel or something?
Shuujin: No, I definitely want to be an original author for a manga. I've still got plenty more ideas.
Hattori: Is that so? Like what?
Saikou: While Shuujin and Hattori-shi were talking back and fourth, all I could think of was whether it was all right to trust this Hattori-shi or not.
Hattori: And, Mashiro-kun, wasn't it?
Saikou: Yes.
Hattori: I think your rough sketching ability is great.
Saikou: Thank you.
Hattori: But even so, this isn't manga artwork.
There are too many lines. There's no difference in lines between the characters and the background. Put in more distortion. You need to make the drawings your own style.
Manga: We're not test subject for your experiments.
Take this!!
I did it.

Page 18:
Saikou: Okay.
Hattori: ......
Shuujin: Mashiro has only been using a pen for two months.
Saikou: You're talking too much, again.
SFX: GUI
Hattori: Two months? Really?
Saikou: Y... Yes.
Hattori: Two months...? I've heard the younger you are the faster you progress, but...
If that's true then I'll really be looking forward to what you do in the future.
Saikou: They both talked a lot after that. But looking back at it, even though we got a lot of praise, all we could hear was the criticism.
And even after that, I wasn't sure if Shuujin blabbering on so much was a good thing or not...

Page 19:
Hattori: You're the type who writes while calculating how you can become popular and how you can sell and such, aren't you, Takagi-kun?
Shuujin: Ah... Yes.
Hattori: This may be just my own observation, but
there are two general types you can divide successful mangaka into.
First there are the types that get hits drawing what they want, and put everything they have into drawing what they like. If you're speaking negatively you might call them naturals. If you're being positive you could say these types are geniuses.
And the other type are like Takagi-kun, which calculate as much as they can in order to produce a hit.
On Page: News
Fashion
Entertainment
Organzation
Design
Data Material
Hattori: But the ones who make big hits are overwhelmingly not the calculating type.

Page 20:
Hattori: Ah, sorry. Maybe that wasn't the best way to phrase it.
I guess I'm saying that that drawing by calculation has much higher hurdles. But on the other hand, the ones who can produce hits by calculating are strong.
They won't be done after just one work.
If we editors could calculate like that, we could put out hit after hit and have very successful careers, wouldn't we? Hahaha.
Well, I think it's possible you two could be like that.
I'd like to see what you can do from here, if possible.
Both: !
Card: Corporation: Shuueisha
Weekly "Shounen Jump" Editorial Department [Small, on top]
Hattori Akira [Large center]
[Stuff on the bottom is illegible and irrelevant.]
Hattori: I can't force you to, but I'd like you to show me your next work without you bringing it to any other publishers.
Ah, hang on one second.
Both: !?
SFX: PIH NYU

Page 21:
Hattori: I'll write in my cell phone email address, so if something happens, email me first.
I can't get to the editorial department phone often, so I'll call you back from here when I have time.
.........
Don't get so excited over an email address. When I find a golden egg, I give out my cell phone number without hesitation. Like I told you, you guys are still around bronze. Hahaha.
Saikou: Not only did he give us thorough opinions, he's being this frank with us.
He even put his email address on his business card. He's definitely got his eye on us.
Maybe it's all right to trust him.
Hattori: For now I think I'm going to send this manuscript around for the monthly award, is that okay?
Shuujin: Eh?
So does that mean it's good?
Hattori: It's not that easy.
But...

Page 22:
Hattori: With manga, it's not an overstatement to say that if 10 people see it and you could get 10 different impressions.
There might even be people who say that this could get into the finals.
To be honest, even we don't know for sure what'll be a hit or not.
If we did, there wouldn't be as many new series that ended so quickly.
Hahaha
A work becoming a hit is in large part, a gamble.
Saikou: It may have been simple, but with that line, I completely believed in Hattori-shi.
..........
Kawaguchi: As long as you're not a genius, you're a gambler.
Hattori: If I'm even more honest......
Shuujin: You can be more honest, Hattori-san?
Saikou: You're being overly-familiar, Shuujin-san.

Page 23:
Hattori: We hold onto the manuscripts like this when we don't want them to be brought to other companies.
If I didn't think you had any talent, then I'd immediately give it right back to you. Hahaha.
SFX: SU...
Hattori: Make sure you show your next work to me, too, please.
Hahaha.
Shuujin: W-We hope you'll see it, too.
Saikou: And in just one hour, it was over.
Shuujin: It... It was a success, right?
Saikou: He even gave us his business card. It's almost too good to be true.
Shuujin: T-That's right. We really did it. We took the first step.
And in a way we got our own editor.
Saikou: I don't think we can say "we did it" yet. He said pretty clearly we were still bronze.
But I trust Hattori-san. I kind of got a "let do this together" feeling from him. What did you think?
Shuujin: Yeah, I thought he was a good and capable person.

Page 24:
Sign: Third Editorial [Cut off]
Jump [cut off]
Editor: You're grinning Hattori, you found a winner?
Hattori: I guess you could say so...... At just around 14 years old I felt real promise.
Editor: 14 years old this time, huh...? Well, there's no way they can compete with Niizuma Eiji.
Hattori: I think in 3 years, they'll surpass him.
Editor: .........
In 3 years? If you don't get a hit out in 3 whole years, you'll be out of here.
SFX: HAHAHA
Saikou: On the train ride home, neither Shuujin or I said much.
That was because we had some much going on inside our heads.
We both spend the last 2 days of our vacation doing nothing.

Page 25:
Saikou: And suddenly I was visited by a nightmare- no, a blessing.
Teacher: So therefore, we'll be having this seating arrangement for the 2nd semester.
Kids: Why do we have to push our desks together------? And with the girls, too-------?
Teacher: It was always like this when I was in middle school!
Kids: That's not a reason!
SFX: ZAWA ZAWA
Teacher: I'd like to improve the image that the boys and girls don't get along with each other in this class.
SFX: BASA
Kids: We're getting along even worse nooooow!
Yeaaaaaah!
Teacher: I'm going to mark down any students that keep making a fuss.
Kids: That's so unfair!
SFX: ZAWA ZAWA (talking)

Page 26-27:
Saikou: ............
Even without looking, I could tell that Shuujin was trying desperately not to laugh, sitting in the back-most seat again.
With just Azuki being next to me so soon, the air, the scenery, no
the whole world completely changed to became undeniably happy.
Both: What do I do if my stomach rumbles during class?

Page 28:
Ooba Name
Obata Name
Complete!
Bakuman。 vol.2
"Unti it Becomes a Manuscript"
Page 8 p26-27